3rd Bomb Division
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
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1 April 1944
Not yet known
The industrial areas of Ludwigshafen was the traget for this mission, but the mission was frustrated by heavy cloud cover and navigational errors that resulted in the mission going haywire. 3rd Air Division and 2nd Air Division despatch heavy bombers. Mission Summary follows:
3rd Air Division: A combined forc of 245 B-17s from: 94BG; 95BG; 96BG; 100BG; 385BG; 388BG; 390BG; 447BG; and 452BG are despatched. The force runs into heavy cloud cover over France and the entire formation aborts the mission. 7 aircraft are damaged. There are no other losses, casualties or claims.
2nd Air Division: A combined force of 195 B-24s from: 44BG; 93BG; 389BG; 392BG; 445BG; 446BG; 448BG; and 453BG are despatched with the industrial areas of Ludwigshafen as the target. Cloud cover, PFF failures and navigational errors plague this formation and it flies a course nearly 100 miles south of the intended track. As a result 17 B-24s bomb Strasbourg, France and 38 others bomb Shaffenhausen, Switzerland in error. 101 managed to bomb the industrial areas of Pforzheim, Germany as a Target of Opportunity (TO) and 9 others bomb the industrial areas of Gaffenhausen, Germany as a TO. The bombing errors at Shaffenhausen, Switzerland are a serious breach of Swiss neutrality and the United Staes goverment pays the Swiss government $1,000,000 in an apology. 6 aircraft of the formations attacking at Pforzheim Failed to Return (FTR) - 23KIA 27POW 11EVD; 6 aircraft of the formations that bombed Strasbourg, France Failed to Return (FTR) - 21KIA 22POW 12EVD 8RTD (rescued by ASR). 2 aircraft are Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR), 1 in a crash landing upon return - 6KIA 4RTD and 1 ran out of petrol and was abandoned over England - 10BO/RTD. 42 aircraft are damaged. 9 airmen in returning aircraft are KIA and another 12 are WIA. The bomber gunners claim 1-1-0 of attacking German aircraft. There are no other losses, casualties or claims.
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Not yet known
Not yet known
CHEMICAL PLANTS
Not yet known
245 B-17s dispatched as the lead force abandon the mission over the French coast due to heavy cloud cover. 3rd Bomb Division was made up of 94th Bomb Group, 95th Bomb Group, 96th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Group, 385th Bomb Group, 388th Bomb Group, 390th Bomb Group, 447th Bomb Group, 452nd Bomb Group.
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 0.00 |
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Not yet known
2nd Bomb Division was made up of 44th Bomb Group, 93rd Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Group, 392nd Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 445th Bomb Group, 448th Bomb Group, 453rd Bomb Group.
Division
The groups under the command of the 2nd Bomb Wing came under the command of the 2nd Bomb Division in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 2nd Air Division.
Tonnage dropped | 260T HE 255T IB |
ERROR - SWITZERLAND IS NEUTRAL
Not yet known
These two towns were mistaken for German towns. US later paid the Swiss $1Million as a formal apology.
BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
Not yet known
Not yet known
Number of aircraft Effective | 17 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Fighter Command | 1 |
Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Fighter Command | 1 |
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Top turret gunner/ flight engineer | 452nd Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 51
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 51
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Radio Operator | 390th Bomb Group
Frank Bobrowicz was Radio Operator on board B-17 #42-39819, hit by Flak on return from the 13 April 1944 mission to Augsburg, Germany. Ditched in the Channel/North Sea, about 18km West of the entrance to the port of Ostend, Belgium. Killed In Action ...
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 7
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 389th Bomb Group
James Braa served as a ball turret gunner with the 566th Bomb Squadron of the 389th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Hethel, England. He completed his tour of 30 missions between March and June 1944, flying his final two missions on D-Day.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 51
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer | 390th Bomb Group
Crew Number 7
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
An Aviator's Dream: The Man From Painted Woods
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Kearney 24/2/44; Presque Is 11/3/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-O] Horham 11/3/44; with G.M. Jackman force landed B-53 Merville, Belg., 10/5/45; with Lt Henderson force landed A-70 Laon, France 20/5/45; 114m Returned to the USA...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 27/1/44; Kearney 1/2/44; Presque Is 5/3/44; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 6/3/44; Missing in Action Liege 25/5/44 with Bill Warren, Bombardier: Jerome Fontaine (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Gene McClellan, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/9/43; Gr Island 7/10/43; Romulus 10/10/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 15/10/43; Missing in Action Augsburg 13/4/44 with Art Nelson, Co-pilot: Art Livermore, Navigator: Maurice White, Bombardier: Bill Matuszewski, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/5/43; Dow Fd 13/7/43; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-K] Framlingham 14/7/43.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/1/44; Kearney 14/2/44; Presque Is 20/2/44; Assigned 568BS/390BG [BI-S] Framlingham 3/3/44 DOC'S FLYING CIRCUS, then GIRL OF MY DREAMS; on mission 21/7/44 with ? , Lt Sam Dubin (Killed in Action); severe icing during assembly for...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Gr Island 20/2/44; Grenier 10/3/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 12/3/44; Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Art Thomas, Co-pilot: John Harper, Navigator: Joe Tilley, Bombardier: Lew Clemens, Flight engineer/top...
Date | Contributor | Update |
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12 March 2016 17:27:17 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to event |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 12-Mar-2016. Added statistics and bomber gunner claims on enemy aircraft to Strasbourg element based on "the Mighty Eighth War Diary", Roger A. Freeman. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
12 March 2016 17:24:58 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 12-Mar-2016. Added Mission Narrative based on "the Mighty Eighth Air Force", Roger A. Freeman, "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE and MACRS. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:43:12 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'. |